5 Strategies for Beating an Addiction

There is no silver bullet treatment that will cure you of addiction. It would be great if there were, but that’s simply not how addiction works. There are many different options out there, and different people respond well to some of them and not so well to others. So, it’s all about making sure that you are able to find the addiction treatment that works best for you. Here are five strategies that might work for you or someone you know who is dealing with an addiction.

1. Build a Support Network

Getting support from those around you is always helpful when you are trying to overcome an addiction. Without that support, it can be very difficult to make it through the recovery process and find the motivation to keep going. That’s not to say that it’s easy to build a support network when you have an addiction though. Many addicts inadvertently push people away from them and do the exact opposite of what they should be doing. So, how can this challenging issue be overcome for the good of your health?

First of all, it might be necessary to show family member and friends that you really are serious about beating your addiction. Many addicts say that they want to recover and give up the thing that they’re addicted to. But those words are not always met with the correct corresponding actions. So, you need to persuade people that this time you’re going to follow through on what you promised to them. If you can do this, the people who really care should be willing to support you.

This option is the main medical course of action that addicts take. This mainly applies to drugs and alcohol. It’s a way of flushing the substances out of your system and making you fresh again. This is never going to be enough to act as a cure by itself though. It’s something that has to be done alongside other things if you want it to result in a complete end to your addiction troubles. What it does do though is give you a great starting point from which you can launch your recovery.

The main benefit of going through this process with the help of medical professionals is that you get the right support. Trying to quit alone can lead to the addict suffering severe withdrawal symptoms. And that is too much for some people to handle. But when there are doctors and nurses helping you to treat those symptoms, it can be much easier for you to handle them. The alternative is called the cold turkey approach, and this can do serious damage to your body.

For some people, getting free from addiction is as simple as staying away from things and people that cause them to lapse into their bad habits. Many people who are addicted to alcohol, for example, will drink with other people who are in a similar situation. And overcoming this kind of addiction problem is made much easier if the addict is able to get away from those negative influences. That’s something that can be easier said than done for many addicts though.

Getting away from people who you consider friends is not easy at all. Even when you know that they are having a negative influence on your behavior and health, they can still be people that you’re close to. There are other triggers aside from people that can have an impact. For some people, just being in a situation where drink and drugs are available can cause them to lapse into their old ways. That’s why moving to a new area of staying with people who are not addicts can be very helpful for some people.

Residential treatment is good for people who don’t feel able to take control of their addiction by themselves. There is no shame in this though. When an addiction really takes hold, it can be impossible for some people to regain control of their lives. In those situations, getting away and having round the clock support from people can be helpful. There are numerous sides to the care that is given and received in residential drug rehab facilities. And you can find details online at ARCProject.org.uk/drug-rehab/.

First of all, the addict will get the chance to speak with a medical professional who understands addiction. Every addict is different, so it’s important that each person gets a treatment that is right for them and their problem. There are also group activities that allow addicts to meet with other people who are in a similar situation and discuss things with them. This social aspect of the treatment can be one of the most important aspects of residential rehab treatments. It’s a good idea to get involved in these activities as much as possible during your stay.

5. Learn Healthier Ways to Deal with Pressure and Stress

One of the main things that push people towards addiction and substance dependency is stress. The substance acts as something that they can use as a crutch when they are in a stressful situation. This is never a positive thing though. It always leads to addiction when the individual is no longer able to function without the substance. This is not how addiction occurs for everyone, but it is for a significant amount of people who get addicted.

One of the ways to get around this problem is to find and develop new and healthier ways to deal with stress. Rather than turning to drink or drugs, people can replace those substances with something that is much more positive. This could be family members of friends. Good bonds with other people are much better things to rely on than drink and drugs. There are also other activities that can be focused on, such as exercise. It’s all about finding something that can relieve the stress the way the drugs and drink once did.